Jobless rate ticks up

July 25, 2011

By

J Swygart

Jobless numbers in Adams County crept up for the second consecutive month in June, according to statistics released Friday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
The latest figures showed the county's unemployment rate for June at 8.0 percent, up two-tenths of a percent from May. The county had hit a three-year jobless low in April at 7.6 percent.
The new report left Adams County with the 56th lowest jobless rate among the state's 92 counties last month. Fayette County, at 12.1 percent, led the state in unemployment levels in June.
Rounding out the top 10 counties in terms of joblessness were Scott, 10.8; Henry, 10.6; Wayne, 10.5; Starke, 10.3; Elkhart, 10.2; Grant, 10.2; Vigo, 10.2; and Delaware, Jennings and Lawrence, all at 10.1 percent.
Unemployment rates among other counties in east-central and northeast Indiana included Allen, 8.1 percent; Wells, 7.4; Huntington, 8.7; Blackford, 9.9; Whitley, 8.0; Noble, 9.9 and DeKalb, 9.2 percent.
The state report showed that 1,200 members of Adams County's total workforce of 14,992 remained without work during May.

Indiana’s preliminary seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3 percent for June. The U.S. rate rose to 9.2 percent this month. Indiana continues to be significantly below the national average and that of all neighboring states for the fifth month in a row. Private sector employment decreased by 6,200 in June.
“This month, the nation and most of our neighboring states saw an increase in the unemployment rate,” said Mark W. Everson, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. “While this month’s news nationally and here in the state is discouraging, it is important to note that over the past year Indiana has seen a 2 percent drop in the unemployment rate from 10.3 percent to 8.3 percent.”
Jobless rates in June for neighboring states included Illinois, 9.2 percent; Kentucky, 9.6; Michigan, 10.5; and Ohio, 8.8 percent.